Border control, Immigration legislation and policies

Committee:
Human Resources
status:
Some progress
Published:
The EBC welcomes the relaxation of COVID-19-related Border Measures in fall 2022. European companies are now once again able to bring personnel vital for the company, be it top management or specialists. The Government needs to also continue to take an increasingly proactive approach to immigration policies and deregulation. Several sectors are currently restrained by the shortage of available labour. This holds true for both skilled labour and unskilled labour in the major urban centres and regional Japan.

Recommendations

  • Provide a greater level of immigration policy transparency for businesses and permanent residents.
  • Extend the scope of on-line visa applications and visa extensions. This would be in-line with continued digitalisation of the Japanese administration and would support remote working.
  • Lower the requirement for industry experience from ten to five years for those without a university degree.
  • Formalise visa procedures for partners that are not married or are in same-sex partnerships.
  • Continue to review concrete measures to increase the uptake of the ‘specified skills visas’ to non-high skilled workers, and their integration in the workplace and society.